Although this topic may seem a bit premature, trust me, it’s not. Perhaps, there may be some of you that are already back in school while others, like myself, have a little bit more than two weeks left of summer. It’s the right time to reflect back on this summer and look at what’s been done. You might have travelled, met new people or gotten closer to individuals already in your life. You may also have had new experiences. But what’s most important about reflecting on this summer coming to a close is...realizing what you haven’t done.

Take the next few weeks to get done what you’ve been telling yourself to do. There might be a restaurant you’ve been dying to go to. Or a person you’ve been eyeing on social media but haven’t had the courage to message them. It could also be simply getting everything sorted out for the start of the new school year.

The past few days I’ve realized more and more how plugged in I am to technology. I constantly have headphones in, looking at the latest news on my phone or typing away on my laptop. These actions do have a meaningful purpose: keeping communication, doing homework for a summer class and completing internship work. But at the end of the day, it’s still important to unplug and appreciate the last moments of summer.

As I walk down streets in the late afternoon, I know that everything around me will be gone within a few weeks. The swaying green leaves will eventually fall off and no longer rustle in the gentle wind. The sunshine streaming through the trees won’t illuminate the floor and warm my skin in the winter. This is the time to soak your surroundings up because you will definitely miss it in the near future.

After long days, I make sure to take at least five minutes to sit down in my room and look outside the window. There’s no music on, I’m not texting anyone and I’m alone. I look towards the city and watch the sunset. The summer has the best sunsets. With the clear blue sky as the background, clouds float by gently as the sun starts to descend. The sky begins to transform into a mix of beautiful, watery colors: purple, orange, red and blue. It’s my favorite time of the day.

No matter how your summer has gone, there’s still time to make the most out of it. Do whatever it is that you still want to get done or simply continue unwinding and getting in your studying mentality. By taking only a bit of time to reflect, you’ll learn to appreciate all that has happened and events that are currently taking place. You won’t regret taking a moment to slow down.